


The Tints And Shades

by cyanideanddiamonds



Category: My Chemical Romance, frerard - Fandom
Genre: Frerard, Futuristic, M/M, MCR, My Chem, The Giver - Freeform, ferenheit 451, monroeville, my chemical romance - Freeform, scifi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2015-03-23
Packaged: 2018-01-24 08:09:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 14,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1597739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyanideanddiamonds/pseuds/cyanideanddiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Inspired by "The Giver" By Lois Lowry and "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury]</p>
<p>Frerard</p>
<p>Gerard lives in Monroeville, a colorless, comicbookless, uneventful town. Well... It won't be colorless, comicbookless and uneventful forever.</p>
<p>When Gerard's favorite barista retires and Frank Iero takes his place, something changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coffee

Monroeville. No comic books. Black and white. Nothingness. But, I didn’t know that at the time. It was all normal to me. I was accustomed to the community. The lockstep of everyone’s everyday jobs and families. The constant smell of smoke. Burning glossy pages of comic books. Smoke polluting the sky. Some suspicious passers by. Obviously dealing out illegal comic books like drugs to citizens in need of the banned product.

Yes. Comic books were banned. Apparently they were “too violent” and would give citizens of the community ideas. The government feared that the books would make us all crazy and restless, which would supposedly cause the community to fill with crime and false and flawed heroes and villains causing mayhem in the streets. 

I never really thought much much of it. It’s all I had ever known. It was normal. 

I just went through my habitual, daily routine. I got up, showered, went to the nearest coffee shop to pick up my usual vanilla soy latte, then off to my uneventful job as an accountant. Yay numbers. 

As I walked the main street of Monroeville under the cloudy, gray sky, I examined my drab surroundings and the drab citizens. It was all the same as every other day. Smog filled the dank sky the the smell of burning paper surrounded me and engulfed the community in a burning, depressing mist.

“Hello,” a man with darkish hair that glistened in the sun said to me.

I nodded in acknowledgment to his friendly greeting as he lowered his voice to a faint whisper.

“If you’re looking to buy any comics, it’s going to be tough. Lots of us have been being arrested lately,” he muttered.

“Us?”

“You know… dealers. We sell the comics to people who want them.”

I nodded again and continued to walk, picking up the pace a bit. He continued to follow me and matched his pace to mine.

“I’m Legend, by the way.” He paused. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Gerard,” I murmured.

“Gerard,” he said, testing out my name. “That’s an interesting name, Gerard.”

“Thanks… I guess.”

“Oh,” Legend said. He had stopped walking in front of an old, abandoned warehouse.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said, rushing into the ratty, old building without saying one more word.

I shook my head in confusion and continued on my way, turning the corner onto Credence road. Sana Dipendenza, the local coffee shop, was located on that familiar street. I opened the old wooden door and stepped into the warm room. There was a small fireplace in the corner of the room and a counter along the far wall with various machines, stools, booths and tables scattered around the place.

“Good morning Gerard,” Conrad Ouderling, the old, wrinkled, smiley barista smiled. He was so warm and welcoming and always so smart and knowledgable. 

“Hello, Mr. Ouderling.”

“Would you like the usual, my boy?”

I nodded. “Yes sir.”

He turned around and got my vanilla soy latte.

“I sure am going to miss our little morning chats, Gerard,” Conrad said.

“Miss? Why wouldn’t we have them?” I was confused. 

My chats with Mr. Oulderling were always pleasant. He’d always given me fantastic life advice and his words never ceased to amaze me. 

“Remember? I told you I’m retiring tomorrow, right?”

“Oh…” I said, disappointed, remembering the news he’d broken to me merely weeks before.

“Don’t worry, son. I’ll come here as often as I can to try to keep up our little chats, okay?

Okay,” I grinned, sipping from my drink. The drink I’d had every morning for as long as I could remember. It had become an unbreakable habit, just like everything else in my life.

And just like any other day, I finished my drink quickly and tossed the empty, plastic cup into the nearest trash can before heading off and bidding a farewell to my favorite barista, of whom I thought of as a grandfather, because he always shared valuable wisdom and knowledge with me.

I hurried down Credence road and turned back onto main street, where I continued north until I hit Ziffer Avenue, where I turned right and entered the first, tall building on the corner of main and Ziffer, where I worked as an accountant.

Upon entering the brightly tinted, shiny, chrome building lined with walls of file cabinets, desks, and cubicles, I was greeted by the sound of my boss, Boris, shouting angry words at our klutziest employee. 

I could never remember her name. I mainly knew her as “the clumsy girl.”

Looking at my shuffling feet, I scurried to my cubicle, which had a fresh stack of papers with a wide array of numbers and various bits of information typed neatly on the clean, light pages.

Then it would be time to go through my uneventful day of numbers and letters and then go home to start the cycle over again.


	2. Cubicles

Work was dull and uneventful, as usual. Nothing truly interesting happened. I just went through my normal day crunching numbers and sorting information and working and working and working.

It was about quitting time, five o'clock. I could see little drops of rain scattered on the window and falling into the puddles making ripples in the water. Yawning, I put the last piece of paperwork away in its proper filing cabinet. As I did so, I felt my stomach growl at me, begging for food in an almost threatening way.

I shook my head and logged out of my computer and slid my calculator into its drawer. I threw out some old papers that were strewn about on my desk from weeks ago, taking my time and peeking at the clock every few seconds to check the time.

Closing time was my favorite time of the day. I loved the feeling of finally getting back on my feet after a long nine o'clock to five o'clock day in an old, uncomfortable swivel chair in a quiet and cramped three by four cubicle. Alone.

4:57. Three minutes until all of the workers would exit their workspaces and stroll home. 

Three minutes seemed to last forever in this place. Sitting in the small space all alone for hours made me anxious to leave everyday. I didn't want to wait. After I got my work done I just wanted to get up and leave, but that wasn't allowed, and it would probably get me fired.

Seeing as I had three minutes and no more work to do, I decided to take out a black sheet of paper and a pencil and just doodle some random character that I created in my mind. I thought for a moment, and then I had an idea. I began to draw a robot with human features. I'd heard of characters like this, but I knew they weren't real. I mean what kind of human was a robot? Such of s thing would only happen in science fiction novels or maybe comic books, I guess. But I wouldn't even know about the comics. 

I'd always been a law abiding citizen, though I was also quite curious about many things and thought really deep into everything that popped into my head. I'd never really thought to try and smuggle a comic book home. I'd never had the urge to get up and secretly buy one from one of the strangers on the street, take it home, and read it. It just never crossed my mind.

I heard the click of the clock and the sudden rusteling of papers and rolling of the wheels of the crappy swivel chairs. Almost as if everyone had been watching the clock, ready to go home.

I stood up from my desk and, pushing in the chair, walked a steady beat away from my lonesome cubicle, where I had spent all day. It was still raining outside, and I didn't have a jacket on that day. I simply picked up the pace as I walked home, trying to be focused on going home and not getting distracted. That didn't work.

A familiar boy with familiar hair and a familiar, peppy and informative attitude caught my attention as he exited the old warehouse I'd seen him enter that morning. He was looking around cautiosly and suspiciously as he locked the door. He saw me and grinned widely in my direction. 

I continued to walk in that direction and I nodded at him in greeting when I got near enough to him. He began to walk a steady pace alongside me.

"Hi, Gerard."

"Hey, Legend," I said. My voice sounded dull and monotone from being in such a boring place all day.

"How was your day?"

"It was... Normal," I said, struggling to find the right word.

Legend nodded, processing my words.

"Mine was quite fun, actually," he said. "I listened to music and I worked on my latest... Nevermind." He was so enthusiastic about whatever he was about to say, but he never got around to actually saying it. He seemed to be catching himself in something he couldn't tell me for some reason.

"Sounds fun," I sighed. His job sounded so much different from mine.

"Yeah," he sighed. "This is where I turn," he said as he turned the corner and left me to finish my walk alone. The rain drenched me as I moved forward down main street to my apartment building. 

I walked into the main lobby, which was dimly lit and had a bright desk in the far left corner and a couch in the far right. The elevator was on the back wall directly in between two staircases. 

I decided, since I was soaking wet, that I was going to take the elevator up to the third floor, where my apartment was located. The elevator arrived with a ding and the shiny, metallic doors opened. I stepped inside the metal box and pushed my finger against the button next to the number three. The elevator clanked and clattered as it rose up and up and up.


	3. Early Sunsets

My third floor apartment was a decent size. I didn't need all that much space. Not that I could afford it with my low pay job. It had one small bedroom, a little kitchen, and a tiny living space. I had access to the building's laundry room and there was a small general store down the street. It was all I really needed.

Just as I arrived in my apartment, I immediately began to rummage through my fridge. After a long day at a desk I needed dinner more than anything.

I decided on a slice of leftover cheese pizza from two days ago. I popped open the tupperware and sat down at the table, which was conveniently placed next to the window that had the perfect view of the western horizon line. Everyday when I came home from work I ate dinner at that table next to that window and watched the sun set over the town, leaving everyone in a peaceful and calm darkness.

My favorite sunsets were the ones that came earlier than they're supposed to. I loved the way the sky went from light to dark in a fading fashion with a glowing horizon as I ate my dinner over the town. The best part about the view from that particular window was the aerial view of the local cemetery in the distance. I loved to watch the people weave in between the graves, stopping at one to mourn, and then leaving in a sorrowful haze. I found it calming.

I sometimes liked to visit the graveyard after dark. I loved the peacefulness of it. It was like a whole separate world. Immediately when you would pass through the cemetery gates the air became deathly still and everything went quiet. It seemed to be like the whole world was constantly paying their respects to the people who were buried there. Whenever I would go there I got the sense that all the bad things couldn’t get past the gates and everything good followed you inside, and you just spent time with it. There was only you, and the peace and quiet of the tombs. I found it calming.

The sun decided to set early. It was slowly drifting away over the horizon, leaving the gray sky in a faded dark shade with a tint of light at the bottom. My favorite. The few clouds that were floating around in the sky seemed to dissipate into nothingness as the day turned into the night and the whole town went dim. Streetlamps were posted on every other street corner, lighting the pavement beneath it. There were just enough street lights so that it wasn’t black dark, but not enough to pollute the sky with light and obstruct everyone’s view of the twinkling stars.

The dots of tint in the sky glowed and glistened and gentle breezes blew the swaying tree branches back and forth, as if playing a game. I was able to see the river in the distance, which was about a mile away. In its crystal waters sparkled the reflection of the stars and the moon, which was a glowing crescent in the black sky. 

The night glowed as I padded over to the sink and turned on the water, empty tupperware in hand. I took the sponge that was sitting in the corner of the sink and began to scrub the pizza crumbs and sauce out of it. 

By the time I had finished scrubbing, I decided it was time for bed. It was only 8:30, so I would have time to draw a bit before going to sleep. Dragged my tired feet to my room and to my dresser, where I picked out a plain medium tone tee shirt and dark pants. I stripped myself of the clothes I had worn to work and put on the comfy, fresh clothes that I was going to sleep in. They still smelled like laundry detergent from the last time I washed them, which was two days ago.

The pants were cozy and soft against my skin, which relaxed me as I snuggled into the cool blankets that had been awaiting me since work had ended. I looked at the light ceiling and ran a hand through my hair as I yawned.

There would be no point in drawing that late at night, so I decided to just go to sleep. So that’s what I did. I nodded off into an exhausted sleep that had been quite needed.


	4. New Barista

As usual, I woke up before the sun came up. I was in the darkness and quietness of the morning haze. My eyes fluttered open. I was still looking at the ceiling, as I had fallen asleep the night before. I didn’t toss or turn or even make the slightest movement in my sleep. 

I opened my mouth wide and yawned as I sat up in bed, running a hand through my hair and scratching my neck. I stretched my legs and arms and cracked my back and neck. Rubbing my eyes, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and staggered into the living space and continued into the kitchen, where I pulled a bowl from a cabinet and took out a box of Rice Krispies cereal. I set them down on the counter and opened the fridge, clutching the milk carton and pouring some into my bowl of cereal.

The clock said 4:10. After I ate breakfast I would have time to shower, like I did every morning.

I shoveled the cereal into my mouth as a few early birds began to walk the vacant streets. Many of them were talking to other people. Most of them were elderly, but there were a few kids getting early starts on their walks to school and some people going in early to work. Some were simply strolling or out on the town, too.

I finished my cereal and placed the empty bowl in the sink and practically ran into the little bathroom. The door swung shut behind me and closed with a gentle thud. I pulled my soft shirt that I had worn the night before off over my head and slid the pants down my legs and left all my clothes strewn about on the light tiled floor.

I pulled open the light tinted, silicon shower curtain to reveal the medium tone shower with a metallic showerhead and wide array of shampoos and conditioners and various face washes that were perched on the ledge of the shower. In the corner by the showerhead was a small tray for a bar of soap, which was occupied by a strange medium tone soap.

I stepped onto the cold shower floor and closed the curtain behind me. I reached for the metal knob of the shower and turned it a bit to the left. The showerhead burst to life and doused me in warm, crystal clear water. It invigorated me, making me feel completely refreshed and awake. 

I reached for a face wash and put a dime sized dollop in the palm of my hand. I rubbed the cleanser all over my face starting at my pixie-like nose and scrubbing it all the way out to my chin, forehead and cheeks.

I ripped a bottle of shampoo off the shelf and massaged it into my black hair before conditioning it. Next, I grabbed the bar of soap and a washcloth that I kept draped over the rod that was holding up the shower curtain and rubbed the soap into the washcloth and rubbed the washcloth over my body. After rinsing the soap off my body I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a clean, fluffy towel.

Now, fully cleansed, I went to my room and opened up my dresser once again. I decided to wear a black collared shirt and a pair of dark skinny jeans with a shiny belt. I rolled down the sleeves on the shirt and ran my fingers through my hair, in attempt to style the messy locks.

I looked at the time. 

Exactly 5:00 in the morning.

I turned to look out the window and see the sky fading from night to day and the morning sun peaked over the horizon. It reflected on the river and glistened across the streets. More and more people were filling the road below, bustling to and fro doing various things. 

When the sun was completely visible it was about 7:00. Work started at 9:00. I decided that I was going to leave early and take my time at Sana Dipendenza. I grabbed my keys off the kitchen counter and left the apartment, locking the wooden door behind me.

As I waited for the elevator, a young girl approached me. She grinned and waved at me. I guess she seemed friendly, so I waved back. She kept her distance from me and I did the same. She was carrying a backpack, so she must have been going off to school. She minded her own business as the elevator doors opened and we both entered. During the whole elevator ride the smile never left her face. When the ride was over she followed me out of the elevator and out of the lobby doors. It was then that we parted our separate ways. Of course, as I had predicted, she walked in the direction of the school. I walked down main street until I hit Credence Road. I turned onto Credence, like I did every morning, and walked into Sana Dipendenza.

When I walked inside, I wasn’t greeted by the familiar, wrinkled face of Conrad Oulderling. Instead, I saw a short man with black hair wearing an apron. It was then that I remembered the Mr. Oulderling had retired and, from this point on, wasn’t going to work there. 

I walked shyly up to the new barista and he flashed a happy grin at me.

“Hello, you must be Gerard,” he cheered, knowledgably.

“Y-Yes?”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” he laughed. “I’m Frank. Conrad told me about you. Vanilla soy latte, right?”

I nodded.

“So, Gerard. Conrad told me your name meant brave. You don’t seem very brave.”

“Well…” I wanted to explain myself, but I just couldn’t. I guess I was just a quiet person. Not very brave.

“I like your name, though. You look like a Gerard.”

“Thanks… I guess.”

“Here,” he said, gesturing to the seat I usually sat in whenever I would have a conversation with Mr. Oulderling. “He told me this was your seat.”

I nodded and sat down as Frank set my usual, vanilla soy latte in front of me.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, smiling. The coffee shop was almost empty. There was only one other girl in there. She had light hair and was sipping her coffee as she read the newspaper. “So, Gerard,” Frank continued. “Where do you work?”

“I’m an accountant,” I stated. “Not quite as exciting as being a barista. At least here you can people watch.”

“People watch?”

“Oh… you know… like watch people and try to figure out who they are and what they do and how they act just by their features and minor details,” I explained.

“Oh.” He looked over at the girl reading the paper. “I think she… likes to be informed about things, likes to keep to herself, and maybe lives alone.”

I looked over at her to examine her details. “Well… her hair is back, so she must want it out of her face. Maybe so that she could read more? She looks to be smart, or an avid reader. She’s wearing reading glasses and… do you see the tape in various places?”

“Yeah,” he said fascinated.

“It means she wears them often and she probably has dropped them before. Many times. She isn’t wearing any jewelry, so she must not have enough time to care about her appearance.” I examined her but couldn’t get anymore out of it.

“Wow,” Frank said, amazed. “Conrad was right. You are really observant.”

I’d never really thought of myself as observant. Maybe aware was a better word. I could see why he would think I was observant. I look at things and immediately analyze them, which, I guess, makes me analytical. 

I took a quick look at the clock. Only 7:22. I had time to waste. I took another slow sip from my drink.

Frank ran an inked hand through his hair and the intricate letters on his hands caught my attention.

“I like your tattoos,” I said, pointing a finger at his hand.

“Thanks,” he said, inspecting the designs.

“Can I… see,” I asked, waving his hand over to me. I traced the letters on his fingers and looked at the change in tones. “Amazing,” I whispered.

“Do you have any?”

“Oh,” my eyes grew wide as I shook my head. “No… I’m afraid of needles.”

“I understand. Needles are freaking scary in some ways.”

“In all ways,” I mumbled, looking down at the floor.

“I like your hair,” he said, smiling.

“Oh, thanks,” I said. “It’s nothing special.”

“I like it. It’s simple. I think it suits you.”

“Thanks,” I smiled. For a second I thought I saw something change in Frank. Specifically in his eyes. They flickered in such a way that I’d never seen before. It wasn’t a light reflection, because those are almost white. What was it?

I checked the time after I finished my latte. 8:00. I guessed I could leave.

“I’m going to go to work,” I stated.

“By Gerard,” he yelled after me. He watched me walk away.

“Later, Frank.” I strolled out of the shop and began to walk to work.


	5. Comic Fires

As I walked to work my thoughts wandered back to Frank at the coffee shop. What was that change in him? His eyes had a different shade? Different tint? What was it? Whatever it was intrigued me and made me curious and eager to find out what the change was. It seemed… vibrant? Is that a good way to describe it? Vibrant? Vibrant. Whatever the change was it was vibrant. I can’t explain what it was nor could I describe how it happened. All I know is that it was different and vibrant. So… unusual.

Something about Frank’s curiosity captivated my attention. There was a spark in him that was like that of a puppy. He was calm but perkey and peppey. He was friendly, but seemed strong enough to stand up for himself. He acted welcoming, but there was something mysterious about him that made me wonder about him. I wanted to get to know him better. I wanted to learn all about him and his whereabouts.

Walking down the bustling sidewalks made me bored. There was nothing interesting about them, or the bland people around me. I don’t know what made them bland. They were all just… bland. They all looked lifeless, flat, and characterless. And then there were the people you saw walking down the street with a deep awareness in their faces. The ones who often wore big coats and carried large sacks and bags. Those were the criminals. They were the people who were part of the comic book exchange. They were the reasons for the constant comic fires throughout the community. There was nothing wrong with them. They didn’t seem like bad people at all. In fact, I don’t even know why they would ever be outcasts and criminals in the first place. They all seemed innocent and longing for something… whatever that something was.

Just as I entered my drab workplace, I could practically smell the apathy of every lethargic, coffee drinking body in the room. The florescent lights made the whole room brighter than necessary. I sat down in my lonely cubicle where my only colleagues were my pen, papers, and computer.

The day seemed to drag on and on. I was just counting down the hours until I was able to get home. As a result of rushing through my work, I was able to sit and relax through the final lame hours of the work day. 3:00. I took a cat nap for about half an hour, then I took a blank page from the printer and sketched a tombstone from the graveyard. At around 4:50 I had finished shading it and was lounging back in my seat, watching every second tick by on the noisy clock that hung on the wall of my cubicle. 

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Every second it was the same ticking sound.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

I sat in lethargy for the longest time just counting down the seconds as they ticked away on that ratty old wall clock. 

I was awaiting those final ticks that signaled the last few seconds of the workday.

When those final ticks arrived I practically jumped out of my chair and sprinted out of the door. I hurried down main street, weaving through the dull crowds of stale people.Soon enough, I came up to a familiar warehouse. The warehouse where Legend said he worked. The dank and weathered warehouse. Next thing I knew the front door creaked open and out stepped a cautious looking Legend. He locked the door and looked around at everyone on the streets. Once his eyes met mine he joined me on my walk.

“Hi, Gerard,” he greeted.

“Hey,” I said, nodding slightly.

“Woah,” he exclaimed in awe as he saw a massive comic fire rise above the peak of the nearest apartment building. The flames licked the sky over a hundred feet above our heads and smoke and the smell of the glossy pages being set ablaze filled the air. 

“Do you know who that is?”

“N-No,” he stuttered. He walked a bit more carefully now, lowering his voice so that only I could hear it.

“Oh,” I murmured as a dark, windowless van whizzed past us faster than it should.

“The van,” he mumbled under his breath so that what he said was barely audible.

“The van?”

“The snatching van,” he stated.

“What’s the snatching van?”

“You know… the snatching van. The van that takes the people caught with comics out to vagevuur, the prison. It’s where they… you know… torture them.”

“What kind of torture?”

“I… I,” He thought deeply before responding unsurely. “I don’t know.”

“Oh,” I sighed. I passed my apartment building after debating as to whether I wanted to take a walk around town, that’s when I thought my best thoughts and came to my best conclusions.

I wanted to take a nice walk around the area near the graveyard, maybe even go into the gated peaceful place. Legend looked as if he wanted to talk, but maybe he had nothing to say, because he said nothing whenever he’d opened his mouth. I turned onto somnum street and walked to the graveyard. After I had passed the cemetery I turned the corner and began the loop back around to my apartment building. The streets were almost vacant of people, other than a short figure with a familiar silhouette.

If it was so familiar… who could it have been?

I passed close enough to the silhouette to where I could get a general idea on who it was. The shadow was Frank, stepping in time to the music that was blasting in his ears. He was wearing a dark jacket with light striped on the hems. He began to pick up the pace and I assumed the song playing in his ears had changed to a faster paced tune.

I don’t think he noticed me, but I noticed him. I could have sworn that once again I saw something change in him again. It was the same. In his eyes again… or at least what I could see of them. His hair was covering his face and he was looking at his on beat feet. The hood of his oversized sweatshirt was up over his head, and hid most of him from my view.

I shook my stare away from him and rushed back to my apartment building and immediately going up to my apartment and locking the door behind me. By that time, the sun had already set and the sky was completely dark. I dug through my fridge, looking for something quick and easy to make and eat for dinner. 

My search was interrupted by the earsplitting sound of the comic fire warning alarm. The community had every building wired so that if there was a comic fire, those who were not guilty could evacuate. 

I rushed to the door and followed the rest of the third floor citizens down the stairs where we joined the rest of the building in waiting for instruction. A man wearing all bright tints motioned for us to go outside and wait in the parking lot. We did as he ordered and waited in the chilly air.

I noticed the girl I had seen in the elevator in the morning sitting on a curb looking lost and confused, and maybe a little sad. I decided I was going to talk to her.

“Hi,” I said, trying not to intimidate her and making an attempt to be as friendly as possible. “I’m Gerard.”

“Hi,” she whimpered. Was she crying? “I’m Alice.”

“Are you feeling okay, Alice?”

She nodded without saying a word, then she looked at the ground and wiped her eyes. Her feet were kicking at a small stone that had chipped off of the pavement. 

“Where are your parents?”

“Inside,” she said simply.

“Do you know why your mom and dad are inside?”

“I just have a daddy. I don’t know why he’s inside.”

“You don’t?” This only made me more curious of her. 

She didn’t say anything else as she pulled her knees tightly up to her chest and hid her face in her legs. Her shoulders were shaking with fear and sadness. She must have been crying.


	6. Is it a date?

It was getting late and I was still sitting outside my apartment building next to the crying girl. Her shoulders shook vigorously and her breathing was quick and heavy. Her face was buried in her knees and her dark hair was strewn about her. She shivered in the cold, night air.

I sat next to her shivering and shaking body and watched the frantic people rushing about the crowded parking lot, muttering conversations amongst themselves. I closed my eyes after what felt like hours of watching them rush around. I was exhausted. 

I figured I’d be sitting outside my building all night, and I was right. It was about three in the morning when the law enforcement officers opened the doors to the lobby of the building.

“You can go back inside,” one of the men announced. 

The people, who were sprawled out all across the parking lot, all began to slowly rise to their feet. Some of them were sleeping on the pavement, others were sitting along the curb. Everyone looked to be restless and some half asleep. 

I walked slowly and sleepily to the front doors and yawned as I entered. I stumbled up the stairs to my floor. When I got there, the little girl was sitting outside the elevator with her head in her knees once again. I decided to walk over to her and talk to her.

“Hi,” I said calmly.

She looked up at me with puffy, blue eyes. Her porcelain cheeks were stained with tears and her entire face looked sad.

“Alice?” I struggled to remember her name for some reason, but I managed to figure it out.

“H-hi, Mr. Gerard,” she said shakily.

“How are you feeling,” as if I couldn’t already tell.

“Okay.”

“Do you know where your daddy is?”

She shook her head slowly as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

“Is there anywhere you can go?”

She nodded.

“Come on, I’m taking you there. Where can you go?”

“With my grandma,” she whispered.

“Where does your grandma live? Does she live in this building?”

“Y-yes,” she sighed.

“Which apartment?”

“2B.”

“Okay, come on,” I said, reaching for her dainty hand. Once her small hand made contact with my hand I lead her to the stairs, where we went down a level to the second floor. We turned and walked the hall until we reached a tall door with “2B” in silver letters and numbers nailed to the surface. “This is 2B.”

“Thank you, Mr. Gerard.”

“Anytime, Alice.” I knocked on the door and a grinning old lady answered.

“Alice, honey,” she cooed. Her attention than was focused on me. “And who might you be?”

“I’m Gerard. I live upstairs. I saw Alice during the comic fire, and she had nowhere to go because her dad was inside and she told me you lived here, so I took her here.”

“Oh thank you so much. What a nice boy. I knew my son was going to be...nevermind. Just… thank you. What a nice boy.”

“Anytime, ma’am.”

“Well, goodbye then.”

“Goodbye,” I smiled as she closed the door. I rushed up the stairs and directly to my apartment. I needed to shower and get dressed and go the the coffee shop. I really needed to go to the coffee shop. I hadn’t gotten any real sleep that night and I needed some energy.

I began stripping myself of my clothes right away once I had entered my apartment. I rushed through my morning routine, taking the fastest shower I’d ever taken. I thought about eating breakfast at home, but I realized that I didn’t have enough time. So I ran out to the coffee shop. Well… I wasn’t running, it was more like speed walking, but fast all the same.

Sana Dipendenza was just as empty as the day before. Very few people were sitting around the small coffee shop. I was immediately greeted by Frank’s happy smile.

“Gerard!”

“Hi Frank.”

“Vanilla Soy?”

“Yes sir,” I said, yawning. 

As he handed me my coffee I looked up at his face. I saw the change in his eyes once again. It was the same change as last time. The change that I couldn’t describe as well as I wished I could. It looked like it could have been a change in the light, but I knew that it couldn’t be a change in the light. It’s something I’d never seen before. The only thing is that this time, the change didn’t just flicker. It didn’t go away. The change in his eyes stayed there. It mesmerized me to the point where I couldn’t take my eyes off of his. Though, his eyes were focused on something else… He was staring at my shirt with an oddly confused expression on his face.

“Uhm… Frank?”

“Yeah,” he said, shaking his head as if he had just been snapped out of a trance.

“Is there.. uh… something wrong?”

“With what?”

I looked down at my shirt and shook my head. “Nevermind.”

He nodded and refocused on my shirt. Did I spill something on it? Was there some kind of stain? 

“Gerard?”

“Yeah,” I asked, confused.

“Your… your shirt… it’s… something’s weird. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

“There’s something-” I stopped myself from telling him about the change I had seen in his eyes.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I continued to sip at my coffee. It wasn’t giving me enough energy quite yet. “Can I have another coffee?”

“Of course,” he smiled. Once he had prepared me another cup he shot me a genuine smile and slid the now full cup across the counter to me. 

“Thank you.”

“Shouldn’t you be heading to work right now?”

“W-What?” I snapped my head around to look at the clock. “Well, shit.” I thought for a minute before coming up with a plan. “Hey, Frank? Can I use the phone,” I asked, pointing at the phone on the counter.

“Sure,” he said, passing it over to me. 

“Thanks,” I said, dialing the number for the office where I worked.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling in sick for work,” I said calmly.

“Wait… but…”

“I know. I just don't feel like being late, especially after not getting any sleep whatsoever last night.”

“ah,” he said as my boss picked up the phone.

“Hello, this is Gerard Way,” I said into the phone. “Yes.” I fake coughed. “I’m a bit under the weather. I won’t be able to make it into work today.” I sniffled a few times. “My apologies,” I said before hanging up.

“So, are you going to go home and sleep now?”

“Nah,” I sighed. “I’d rather have someone to talk to on my day off.”

“But aren’t you tired.”

“I’m exhausted, but I could live off of coffee any day.” I took another sip of my coffee in a point-proving fashion.

Frank laughed. “You’re funny.”

“I’m not really trying to be funny,” I chuckled.

“You’re funny. Shut up,” he joked, playfully punching me in the shoulder.

I shrugged my shoulders as I took another sip. “I’m not funny, I’m just different.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” I processed my words for a moment. “I guess what I mean is that I have some different views than other people around here. I see different sides of everything. I understand things that most of them don’t and vise versa. I guess I think too deeply about everything, but that makes me different. And around here, in our society, people think that when other people are different it’s funny. I think it’s because everyone is aiming to be normal. To be just like everybody else. Since they’re all the same they think when people are different, they think it’s weird, and weird is supposedly funny.”

“Oh,” he said, looking like he understood. “I guess you could say that I’m different too.”

“All of us are different in one way or another, I guess. It’s just that some of us don’t show it, or don’t understand that we’re different. We just think we’re outcasts, which, I guess that in a sense that we are. But that’s not the point. My point is that some of us are more different than others. Some of us only are a little bit different, some are basically the complete opposite of everyone else. You see, everyone just goes through life, not really stopping to think about things around them, or stopping to wonder why things are the way they are. People just stroll through life not really paying attention to the world around them.”

“Oh,” Frank said with interest.

“Yeah.” I continued to sip from my coffee until I heard a dinging noise. “What’s that?”

“What’s what,” Frank asked as he untied his apron and hung it on a hook behind the counter.

“That ding.”

“Oh,” he smiled and pointed at the clock. “It’s the clock. It’s my lunch break.”

“Then who’s going to do your job while you’re on break?”

“Rachel.” Just as he said the name a tall girl with medium length hair and tan skin came out of the door labelled “Employees only” as she tied her hair into a ponytail and tied on an apron. “Hiya Rachel,” Frank greeted her cheerfully.

“Hey Frankie. Is this that Gerard guy that you told me about?”

Frank turned red and looked at the floor without saying a word.

“I’m Gerard,” I said quietly.

“Rachel,” she said, offering her hand for a shake. I took it and she shook my hand firmly and confidently, making me jump a little bit.

“You’ve got quite the grip there,” I said as she released her grip and set my hand free. I shook out the pain and looked back at Frank, who was tomato red.

“Um,” he muttered as he looked up from the ground and glanced shyly back at me. “Do you want to go get some lunch?”

“I don’t have anything else to do.” I stood up from my chair and followed Frank out the door onto Credence. As we walked down the road I looked at the patrons as they passed by. They all showed vacant expressions, not really paying attention to their surroundings. They all walked straight paths and didn’t communicate with any of the strangers around them. Of course, people talked, but not usually when they were walking outside or heading somewhere.

“Wait, where are you taking me?” I continued to follow at Frank’s heels down Credence to some unknown place where we were going to have lunch.

“Oh, just a little diner down the street,” he said smiling.

As we continued to stroll down the street I noticed a familiar face. It was Legend. What was up with this guy? Why is he everywhere I go? 

Legend caught sight of me and walked my way.

“Hi,” he said smiling as he began to walk beside me.

“Hey legend.”

“Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“I uh… took a sick day.”

“Then why aren’t you at home?”

“I’m not sick.” How isn’t he catching onto my whole day off deal?

“Oh…” He looked in front of me. “And who’s this?”

“That’s Frank. We’re going out to lunch.”

Legend stopped in his tracks with his eyes wide. “Out? To lunch? As a date?”

“No, not a date. We’re just friends.”

“Hold on.” Legend grabbed my wrist tightly. “Did you see it?”

“See what?” Of course I saw that change, but I have no idea what that was.

“The colors.”

“The what?” 

“The colors. Since you met Frank has anything changed?”

“Hey, Gee,” Frank called from thirty feet ahead.

“Listen, I have to go, I’ll probably see you later.” I hurried over to Frank and followed him into a small diner. We sat down in a booth and waited to be waited on.

“So what was that all about?”

“What was what all about?”

“That guy back there,” Frank said, looking out the window at where I had left Legend.

“Oh, that’s Legend.”

“What did he want?”

“Nothing.” I looked down at the table, where a menu was laid flat. I opened it up and skimmed my options.


	7. Bumps and Bruises

I got home that night at the same time I usually do. I had spent the entire day at the coffee shop with Frank. We had a really nice lunch. It was uber simple and really tasty. Most of the time Frank’s face was red and he could barely look me in the eye, but we had a few laughs. 

I immediately took a shower when I got back to my apartment. The water was cold. Cold as in freezing. It was then that I remembered that I had forgotten to pay the water bill, so I only had ice cold water. 

While I was in the shower I noticed something on my knee. A bruise. I don’t remember getting it. Where’d that come from? I didn’t bump into anything, did I? At least I don’t think I did. 

As I rinsed the soap off my body I watched the small bruise. I watched the water carry the soap suds off the dark shades blotch on my skin. I touched the small spot, just to see if it hurt. It did. Just a little bit. I still had no idea where it had come from, though. 

That night I layed in bed wondering where the bruise had come from. I thought over everything I had done in the past week. Nope, I hadn’t done anything that would have bruised my knee. I drifted off to sleep after countless hours laying awake in my bed racking my brain trying to figure out how I had gotten one, small bruise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was so short, I just wanted to get that in there quick and easy and then move on with the story. I'm going to try to post more often, so keep an eye out.  
> Stay hecka rad  
> -Dani


	8. "Beautiful"

“Gerard!” A voice was shouting after me as I walked down main street towards Credence. “Hey, Gerard!” I turned around to see Legend weaving through the crowd of emotionless walkers as he rushed to get to me. He had a look of urgency in his eyes by the time he finally caught up to me.

“Hi Legend.”

“Gerard. Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday.” He looked at me as if I was supposed to know what he was talking about.

“What?”

“The colors? Frank? Is any of this ringing a bell?”

After thinking for a moment I remembered exactly what we had been talking about the day before. He had asked me if Frank and I were dating and if I was seeing “colors.” I nodded and waited for him to continue.

“So…? Are you seeing the colors?”

“I still don’t understand what the colors are, Legend,” I said, shaking my head.

“Okay… Ever since you started talking to Frank, has anything changed? Not in your life, I mean. More like in what you see… you know… with your eyes.” Legend had a look of pure seriousness in his eyes and I had to answer truthfully. I had to tell him about the change that I couldn’t explain. The only problem was… I can’t explain it. 

“Well… I don’t know how to say this or how I’m supposed to make you understand this,mostly because I don’t understand this. But there’s been a change. I saw it in Frank’s eyes. I don’t know exactly what it was. All I know is that it was something with the tints and shades of his eyes. I don’t know how to describe it, though.” I replayed the image of the first time I saw the change in my head. “The only way I can describe it is with one word… beautiful.”

Legend looked at me thoughtfully. He seemed to be contemplating what I had just said to him. I saw him mouth the word “Beautiful” as he looked up at the sky.

After a moment of quiet between me and Legend had passed by, I remembered the bruise. Maybe Legend knew something?

“So… I got this um… bruise. I mean… more like I found this bruise. I have absolutely no clue as to how I got it. and-” I was interrupted by Legend.

“Bruises,” he whispered, looking at his arm. Sure enough there was a blotch of dark shaded skin near his elbow. I watched his eyes widen before he looked down at his wrist where he seemed to have written words in pen. “I have to go,” he said before sprinting away in a flash of confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again... sorry it's so short. I write better, and I write more in short chapters. My apologies if this disappoints. I've got more coming!  
> -Dani


	9. Do you see the colors?

The coffee shop was busier than it usually is. There was a very tall man with a fedora who smelled strongly of cigarettes and looked very antisocial. Next to him was a table where five women in pantsuits were conversing about some kind of new hotel business they were opening on crystal lake. Two of the ladies were arguing about the price of the rooms and the other three were discussing landscaping and the dining area.

I strolled past them to the front counter where Frank stood smiling at me. That change that Legend referred to as “color” was still in his eyes. The change that I could only describe as “beautiful” was still there. It was mesmerizing. It put me in a trance. I got so lost in the color that I had forgotten what I was doing. I felt like I was floating. I felt as if there was no gravity. I could see nothing but his colored irises. I snapped out of my trance when I heard him calling my name.

“Gerard. Gerard? Gerard!”

“Wha- what?” I shook my head in order to snap back to my colorless reality. 

“Here,” Frank said, sliding me my coffee as I plopped down in my usual seat by the counter. I closed my eyes and pressed my palms into them. This whole color thing is driving me crazy. 

“Thanks,” I muttered tiredly. I looked back up at Frank with exhausted eyes and yawned. I closed my eyes and opened them and I could have sworn I saw the color in his clothes, but with a blink, the color in his clothes was gone, but the color in his eyes remained. “Hey, Frank?”

“Yeah?” Frank was washing dishes in the sink on the other side of the counter with his back turned to me.

“You’ve been seeing the colors too, right?”

“The what?” Frank stopped washing the dishes and turned back around to look at me. His colored eyes showed that he was confused.

“The colors.”

“Gerard, I think you’re insane. Making up such a thing as ‘colors.’”

“They’re real,” I said softly. “Listen. Have you seen the change. The one that’s basically indescribable, but it draws you in and captures your attention to the point where you can’t sleep at night and drives you crazy and you have no way to describe it because you’ve been stuck in the tints and shades for such a long time, seeing nothing like this change. The only difference in color is the tint of something or the shade of something. The dark of something and the light of something. Nothing ever changes in this place… until I met you… When I met you I started seeing these… these colors. I don’t know what the deal is with them, but I’m racking my brain trying to figure it out. I just want to know that I’m not the only one seeing the colors.”

“You’re not.” His voice was barely audible.

“What?”

“I see them too.”

“You do?”

“Your tie,” he said, pointing at my long, skinny tie. “It changed.”

“I don’t see it.”

“Really? How not? It’s obvious.”

“It didn’t change.”

“Here,” Frank said as he jumped on the counter and slid into the seat beside me. “Close your eyes.” I did as he said. “Now look at it again.” Sure enough my tie had changed. But the change wasn’t the same as Frank’s eyes. It was more vibrant.

I stood up from my chair.

“Come on,” I muttered, grabbing Frank’s wrist.

“Where are we going?”

“To see Legend.”


	10. Soulmates?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to just spoil it for you with this not, but all I can say is read carefully.  
> -Dani

“I knew it,” Legend shouted just as we walked in the door to the small warehouse I see him go into every morning. 

“Knew what,” I asked.

“Frank-” Legend was interrupted by Frank’s confusion.

“How do you know my name?”

“That’s not important right this second. What’s important is the colors. You guys are both seeing them, right.”

Neither of us said a word. We only nodded.

“Okay, So here’s the deal..” Legend stopped in his words. “You know what, maybe I shouldn’t tell you.”

“I think you should tell us,” I said.

“Well… It’s kind of hard to explain. Wait… Gerard that bruise on your leg. Let me see it.” I did as Legend said, seeing as his voice showed urgency. I revealed the mysterious bruise. Frank looked at my knee in confusion.

“I have a bruise in that same ex-” Legend interrupted Frank.

“Frank roll do exactly what Gerard just did.” 

Frank rolled up the same pant leg as Gerard and sure enough there was a bruise in the exact same place. Just as Legend saw the bruise on Frank’s leg his eyes lit up.

“I knew it!”

“Knew what?”

“I knew it! You guys are perfect!”

“Wha-” Legend interrupted Frank.

“Okay, I see you two are extremely confused. Let me explain. Ever since you two have met, you started seeing the colors, right?”

“Right, but-” Yet again Frank was interrupted by a babbling Legend.

“And Frank you got that bruise on your leg, how?”

“I bumped into my bed in the morning… but I don’t see how this-”

“And that bruise just so happened to show up in the exact same place on Gerard, but he didn’t do anything to get it.”

“How is this relevant to-” Legend interrupted me.

“This happened to me before. Last year, when I met Cayson.”

“Who’s Cays-”

“My boyfriend.” The room went silent.

“So, how does this pertain to us,” Frank asked, breaking the silence. 

“Well, I think that when you find your one true love, your soulmate if you will, that these changes start to undergo.”

“We’re not-”

“You may think that, Frank. You may think that now, but sometimes your true love comes into your life in such a mysterious way that you don’t see that you’re meant for eachother right away. For some people, you realize it instantly. For others, it’s a process. Sometimes, it just takes a kiss to realize that they’re the one. Everything will change. Everything.”

I remained silent, my mouth opened slightly, my breath becoming heavy. Frank, on the other hand, looked bewildered at what Legend had just said. His jaw was dropped to the floor, his brow was furrowed, his hands were shaking.

“Wha-” Legend interrupted Frank for the last time that day.

“Well, goodbye now,” Legend said cheerfully as he practically shoved me and Frank out the door.


	11. Unfinished business

“What the fuck just happened,” Frank asked confusedly, shaking his head.

“I- I don’t know.”

“Do you think he was right?”

“Well,” I paused for a moment, thinking about everything that Legend had said. Maybe he is right? It may not be love at first sight but it’s still love. “I don’t know.”

Frank shook his head some more. “I’m so confused. I don’t think this is right, like why would we be in love? It just doesn’t make sense.”

I waited a minute, pondering my answer. I said five simple words. “Love works in mysterious ways.”

Frank stared at me with his head cocked to the right and his brow furrowed, as if he were trying to see into my soul.

“I should probably get to work.”

“Me too,” Frank said quickly before scurrying back to the coffee shop. I practically ran to work. I just wanted to avoid all awkwardness at all costs. Afterall, if we just found out that we’re supposed to be soulmates, it’s going to be a bit odd.

When I got to the office, the lights were brighter than usual and I was greeted by something that I’m used to seeing, but it had changed. The big clock that hung over the entrance had changed. It looked to be the same color as my tie. I squinted my eyes at it to see if it would change again, but it didn’t.

Back at my cubicle, I plopped down in my swivel chair and began to work. The hours seemed to tick by slower and slower and slower. The whole time I was sitting in my cubicle I was thinking about Frank. Thinking about his eyes. My mind was fixed on the trance his eyes had put me into. It felt as if I were in outer space. I saw the galaxy in his pupils while his irises hypnotized me and drew me into a different world.

I snapped out of my thoughts when the colored clock on the wall struck 5:00. Time to go home. The only question was, was I going to go straight home. The answer was no. I was going back to the coffee shop. I had some business to take care of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry so short  
> -Dani


	12. Sparks

The coffee shop was completely empty when I got there. The only person there was Frank, who was cleaning the tables. The lights were dim and the only sound was Frank humming to himself. I walked in the door and Frank looked up from the table he was wiping. 

“Hey,” he greeted, going back to his cleaning.

“Hi,” I said, taking a few steps closer to him.

“Want some coffee?”

“No, I think I’m okay for now.”

Frank nodded as he finished wiping down the table and put down the rag. “So, what are ya here for?”

“Well… I’m not exactly sure. I just felt like it was the right thing to do.”

“Oh,” He mumbled as he untied his apron and hung it on the hook once again. “So how was work?”

“Boring. Lonely. Long. Quiet. Lockstep… how about you?”

“We weren’t busy at all today. I sat behind the counter reading com-” Frank stopped himself from saying something. “the newspaper.”

I nodded.

“Why don’t we sit down.” Frank pulled out a chair at one of the tables along the window and offered it to me. I sat down and he sank into the chair next to me. We sat in silence for a moment before Frank said something. “Do you remember what Legend said?”

“Legend said a lot of things, which thing are you talking about?”

“He said that sometimes it takes a kiss to realize that they’re the one.”

“Oh… that thing.”

Frank nodded.

“So what are you implying that we-” I was interrupted by Frank’s lips colliding with mine. Inside me I felt a sudden burst of warmth. My heart began to race as he pulled away. I looked deeply into his eyes and saw a spark. No, not a metaphorical spark. I saw a literal spark. It began to grow and shoot around the room. I followed it with my eyes, as did Frank. It bounced off every wall and every object before going to the center of the coffee shop and shooting straight up towards the ceiling. But it didn’t hit the ceiling. Just before it would have collided with the ceiling it burst into an explosion of the colors. Not just the colors I’d already seen, but thousands of other colors filled the room as if they were being painted on every object by some unseen force. 

I watched in amazement as another spark formed exactly where the previous one had burst. The new spark flew out the door, which was opened by some unseen force. Frank and I followed it outside where it bounced off every surface and weaved in and out of the commuting citizens of Monroeville. The spark shot up and burst like a firework as it filled the rest of the world with color.

I felt my eyes well up in amazement as I watched new sparks form and travel to various places. One spark went directly in between Frank and me, who were still mostly colorless. It exploded on both of us as the unseen power coated us in color. Frank smiled as he watched himself transform.

“Wow,” Frank said under his breath as the world lit up around him, changing from a dull colorless dystopia to a colorful wonderland. He looked around the now empty street in awe. “Gerard! Gerard, come here!” He was like a kid in disney world.

“What,” I chuckled.

“Look!” Frank was pointing towards the city lights in the distance. I noticed that they were now various colors. “It’s so cool!”

“Beautiful,” I whispered.

“What was that,” Frank asked.

“It’s beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured before holding me close and kissing me on the cheek. “Legend was right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey if anyone wants to illustrate this scene I'd appreciate it because why not?!


	13. Dogs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for reading:) it means so much that you guys read this. I really am trying hard.

Frank and I walked towards the city lights hand in hand with our fingers interlocked. I had never seen anything so amazing in my life. The colors were stunning. I could never describe how captivating they were. We couldn’t take our eyes off of them. We watched the colors that surrounded us dance in the moonlight and the shadows of the city. There were very few people walking the streets. They were almost vacant. The few people walking saw us and became suspicious.

“What are you two homos lookin’ at,” a man in a trench coat that was the same color as the bricks on the city hall.

Neither of us responded. We were too distracted by the newfound colors that surrounded us and seemingly wrapped around our bodies.

“Wanna come over,” Frank asked me, not taking his eyes off the city lights for one moment. I watched him contently. It was so cute how the smile never left his face. I swear he was like a child or something.

“Sure,” I said. Frank turned a corner and we began heading towards his house.

Frank’s house was small and cozy. It was a bit isolated. Somewhat far away from the busier part of town. It was a split level house on a hill near the river. One side of the house overlooked the river and the other overlooked Monroeville. The bright and bustling city could be seen in the distance.

The front door lead right into his living room which was equipped with a fireplace, a large TV and a soft sectional couch and a door to his yard, which is where he lead me next. He took me onto his patio, which had a nice patio set with cushioned seats. There was a fire pit on one side of the yard and a doghouse on the other. After I scanned the entire yard I noticed that there were a few dogs laying down and chewing on toys and running around throughout the yard.

I sat down in one of the cushioned patio chairs across from the one Frank plopped into. Just as I had settled into the seat I was greeted by the head of a medium sized dog in my lap.

“Mama get off,” Frank ordered. The dark haired dog got its head off my lap and ran to one of the other dogs and started to play chase around the yard. “Sorry, she’s friendly.”

“I see,” I laughed. “You’ve got a lot of dogs.” I looked around the yard again. There were maybe twelve? Thirteen? 

“Yeah. I kind of love dogs if you haven’t noticed.” Frank stood up from his chair. “Want anything to eat?”

 

“I’m alright, thanks,” I said before Frank disappeared into his house. A light flicked on in the house. Probably the kitchen. Just seconds later the light was turned off and Frank was back in his chair holding a bag of potato chips in one hand and some ranch dip in the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short. I'm exhausted and need some sleep before I write anymore. Thanks to everyone who's been commenting. It really means a lot and puts a smile on my face. I appreciate all of you guys who are active readers, keep it up, homies :D  
> Love y'all  
> -Dani <3


	14. Perfect

As Frank began to munch on the chips a color caught my eye. The grass. It was a similar color to the hypnotizing color of Frank’s eyes. The way it caught the last bits of sunlight from the sunset and shimmered brightly. 

“What are you looking at,” Frank asked with his mouth full of chips and dip.

“The grass,” I muttered. Frank looked at the grass and popped another chip into his mouth. “It’s the same color as your eyes. It’s beautiful.” Frank finished chewing his chip as he walked inside. “Wait, where are you going?”

“Just wait,” he said as he vanished into the back door. I continued to focus on the grass until Frank came back outside holding an expensive looking camera.

“Whatcha got there?”

“This is Susan, my camera,” he said proudly.

“Susan?”

“Yes.” Frank laid down in the grass. “Come over here,” he said, holding the camera up in the air. I did as he said and stood over the shorter man once I had arrived to the spot where he had laid down in the grass. “Take a picture.” He handed me the camera and smiled at me. I held the camera over him and pressed the all magical button that captures moments.

“Like this,” I asked, holding the screen that showed the picture I had just taken down so that Frank could see it. 

“Wow. It’s… It’s…”

“It’s beautiful.”

He nodded, taking his camera back and resting it on his chest.

“Why don’t you lay down,” he asked. I laid down in the grass beside him. Down there, there was a stunning view of the sunset sky. Fluffy cotton candy clouds and different shades of sun cast all about the sky.

“Is this why you wanted me to lay here?”

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I responded, not knowing what to say next.

“You know what else is amazing?”

“What,” I questioned.

“How the customer that Mr. Oulderling told me about became my soulmate. The most frequent customer changed my life. Opened my eyes. Literally. I’ve never seen the colors ever before in my life, and they’re just gorgeous. It’s amazing how one person in your life can make such a massive impact on your entire world just because they’re your soulmate.”

“It is pretty amazing. It’s also unexplainable. I’d like to say it’s fate, but I’m not completely sure that I can. Maybe chance is a better word? But then I realize that that would be a close call.”

“You know what, Gerard?”

“What?”

“I like the way you think. You’re like a philosopher. The words flow off your tongue like you’re meant to say them. You say exactly the logical thing. You make sense. I’ve always wanted someone in my life who made sense. Everybody is stuck in their own little world, only thinking about how things affect them, but you see how every action you take could change any small aspect of the world. You think deeply into things. Everyone else just scrapes the surface, but you dig into the depths of your mind to try to make sense of everything around you. And I think that’s wonderful.”

“You know what I just realized,” I said thoughtfully.

“What?”

“How cute you are. It’s hard to explain, but you’re just adorable and I don’t understand why I didn’t see that before. I’m actually disappointed in myself for not seeing this before. I mean look around us. Look at everything we’ve been missing!”

“It’s unforgettable,” Frank whispered.

“What?”

“It’s unforgettable. Being here with you. Talking. Understanding. Finally seeing what was meant to be seen. Feeling what was meant to feel,” Frank murmured, turning his head to look at me. Our eyes locked and once again I was carried away into the hypnotizing color of his iris.

“And what is it that you’re feeling,” I asked.

“It’s warm… and fuzzy… and happy… and… right. It just feels right. Like it was meant to be.”

I smiled, because that was the exact same way I felt at that very moment in the grass under the sunset surrounded by newfound color.

“I love your crooked smile,” He said softly before pecking me on the lips. 

“I love when you whisper,” I said, scooting closer to him and putting my head on his chest. He put the camera in the grass beside him to make room for me. Right there. That moment. That sunset. That patch of grass. Those colors. His chest moving up and down steadily with his soft breathing. Our interlocking fingers. That warm fuzzy feeling that just felt right. That was the perfect moment. And I was never going to forget it. In fact, I could fall asleep right then and there. And that’s exactly what I did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys thanks for reading! I have this story on wattpad as well so my author's notes vary. So I realized that I had forgotten to put something in this author's note that I put in the one that I put on wattpad. So I'm just going to copy and paste it right here.
> 
>  
> 
> I'd just like to take a second to thank all the people who are commenting. Thanks so much for being active. It always puts a smile on my face:)
> 
>  
> 
> Now I want to talk about something that I thought of. If there's any scene in this story that you'd like to illustrate for me I'd deeply appreciate it. Here's why. My covers are quite boring, so I figured: why not have my readers draw their interpretations of the story and the characters and different scenes?
> 
> I'm going to be making a note of this at the end of every other chapter (maybe)
> 
> At the end of the story I'm going to take all of the scenes that my readers draw and pick one to be the cover of the story. For all the other pieces of artwork that you guys send in, I'm going to add into the story somehow and link them somehow, but I'll figure all that out when the story's over.
> 
>  
> 
> So the bottom line is right here -> ____________
> 
> haha I'm funny (not really)
> 
> The actual bottom line is that you should send in drawings of any of these scenes.
> 
> Thanks for reading, I love y'all
> 
> -Dani


	15. Going home

I woke up in that same place in Frank’s backyard with my head on his chest and our fingers intertwined on the same patch of grass that almost matched the color of Frank’s eyes. Frank was already awake, holding his camera that he called “Susan” in one hand with the lens pointed at me.

“What are you doing, Frank?”

“Taking pictures of you.”

“Why,” I laughed.

“Because I want to remember the way you look right now forever.” He snapped a picture before planting a soft kiss on my forehead. “I need to get to the coffee shop soon.”

“yeah, I should probably should get home and get ready for work,” I muttered, staggering to my feet and offering a hand to Frank in order to help him up. He took it and I pulled him up to his feet. Frank lost his balance and crashed his body into mine. I grabbed his biceps in order to stabilize the short man.He looked down at his feet, embarrassed. 

“Sorry,” he said softly.

“It’s fine. I’m going to go home and get ready to go to work. I’ll see you at the coffee shop.”

“Okay,” Frank said as I exited the yard and walked to my small apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Um I just wanted to apologize for the mega short chapter, but I have more long stuff coming so be prepared. If you guys want to leave a comment telling me what you think of the story or any suggestions or criticize you have for me I'd love to hear it. My favorite readers are the ones who comment. Also, don't forget to illustrate scenes to send to me! I appreciate you guys for reading this story. Thanks, Homies <3  
> -Dani


	16. For your own good

On my way to work I ran into Legend. It wasn’t that I ran into him. I walked by the warehouse and he just kinda grabbed my arm and dragged me inside. The shades were drawn and the only light in the room came from a single lamp standing in the corner.

“Wha- What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain when Frank gets here. Take a seat.” I did as he told me. Legend seemed to be quite worried about something that must have been extremely urgent. Legend ran around the room rummaging through some boxes and crates that were scattered about the warehouse. After a few minutes some light from outside was let inside from the door to the warehouse. Just then I saw Frank being thrown into the building by a young man with hair the color of the sun at sunset.

“Cayson,” Legend Shouted at the man with sunset hair. “Come over here. Frank, take a seat.”

Frank scurried over to me with a nervous and scared shock in his face. “What’s happening,” he whispered. 

“I don’t know,” I said under my breath. “Legend seems worried about something. I’m not sure what, though.”

Frank nodded just as Cayson and Legend rushed over, each holding a book.

“What’s this,” I asked.

“Take it home. Read it,” Cayson explained.

“What’s this all about,” Frank asked.

“They’re after you. They’re after all of us.”

“What,” Frank mumbled in confusion.

“We know you have them, and you and Gerard are linked. Your souls are bound together. Everything you do affects Gerard. If they’re after you they’re after him too,” Cayso began to explain. “That’s why I’ve been running with Legend for the last year. They’ve been chasing him since we left Montana.”

“What are you talking about,” I said.

“Frank. They’re tracking you down. They caught your dealer and now they’re looking for you. And, like we said before, if they’re looking for you, they’re looking for Gerard too. If you guys get too far apart, bad things can happen.”

“If we get too far apart? What-” Frank was interrupted by Legend.

“You have to leave monroeville with us.”

“What? What about my job,” I asked in bewilderment.

“You have to resign. We’re leaving town. They’re looking for all of us. They’ve been looking for Cayson and me for the longest time. Who knows how long we’ll be living in New Orleans. They might never catch us there. It’s far enough, I mean… It’ll be hard for them to-”

“New Orleans?!” My voice cracked, as I might just cry. This was the place where my grandmother had died. I’d never really thought of leaving. If I left, it would mean disconnecting from her. I wouldn’t be able to visit her on her birthday. It wouldn’t be the same. “I can’t leave.”

“Gerard, I know you have some kind of connection to Monroeville and you feel like you have to stay, but you have to come to New Orleans with us. It’s for your own good. It’s for Frank’s good,” Legend said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I looked down at the dirty floor sadly.

“Can I say goodbye to my grandma before we go?”

“Yeah, why not? Our train leaves at six tomorrow morning. I suggest you go resign from work and start packing.” I couldn’t bare to choke out another word. I simply nodded struggled to get to my feet. I exited through the same door that I had entered from and began walking to work. The walk that day felt less like a commute and more like a funeral march.

I guess I had to say goodbye eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for everyone who has been actively reading and leaving comments and things like that. I'm finally getting deeper into the story I'm so excited:) Don't forget to submit your illustrated scenes to my email ( cyanideanddiamonds@gmail.com ) or over my tumblr ( cyanideanddiamonds.tumblr.com )  
> Keep reading and keep commenting. I appreciate it!  
> -Dani <3


	17. Phonecalls

I went home after quitting work. How was I supposed to get money? What kind of job was I supposed to get in New Orleans? Who is after Frank? Why is someone after Frank? What’s going to happen to the coffee shop when we leave?

My house was colder than usual. I looked around at all the furniture that I was going to be leaving behind. There weren’t that many memories in my apartment. Actually, there weren’t any at all. My life had been quite uneventful before I met Frank. The only memories I had were in the house that I grew up in with my mom and dad and brother. 

It was then that I realized that it’s been a very long time since I had spoken to my brother. I’ve been so busy with work and just got caught up in the bore and snore of everyday life that I just kind of forgot to call him. 

Mikey and I were really close until he got a job in the city. My brother was the assistant to the mayor. Whatever the mayor wanted, was Mikey’s job. He gets a pretty good pay, I guess, but he’s always busy, and so am I.

I picked up the phone and dialed my brother’s phone number. It rang once before he picked up. 

“Gerard?”

“Hey, Mikes,” I said cheerily. “How are you. It’s been so long.”

“I know. I miss you. I guess I’m okay. There’s been a lot of controversy about this whole comic fire thing. I don’t even understand why they do it. They’re just comic books. What’s the point of burning them. There’s nothing wrong with them.”

“Apparently it’s to protect the city from crimes, but quite frankly there are very few crimes to begin with.”

“Yeah. It’s pretty calm around here. So how have you been.”

“I’ve been great! There’s a new barista at the coffee house named Frank and-” I stopped myself before telling Mikey about the colors. What if I’m not supposed to tell anyone? I guess I’ll just skip the the news that I had to give him about me moving. “I’m moving away,” I said sorrowfully.

“Moving? What part of town? Uptown? Downtown? The city? The Valley?”

“I’m moving out of town, Mikey.”

“What?! Nobody ever leaves Monroeville.”

“I know. I’m moving to New Orleans.”

“But...but why?”

“Because…” Do I tell him why? “I need a change of pace.”

“Oh. I understand. Did you tell mom and dad yet?”

“No not yet, but I probably should. I’ll talk to you later, Mikes. Love you.”

“Bye.”

I ended the call and dialed my parent’s phone number slowly. I put the phone to my ear and waited for someone to pick up.

“Hello?” It was my mom’s calm voice coming through the phone.

“Hi mom. It’s Gerard Listen I-” My mom cut me off.

“How are you, honey?”

“I’m okay. Mom I need to tell you something.”

“And what might that be?”

“I’m moving.”

“Oh? Where are you moving to? Is it closer to your brother? Is it just to a different apartment building? Why don’t you get a nice little house instead of an apartme-”

“New Orleans.”

“New Orleans? Why would you move there when you live in a place like Monroeville?”

“I just needed a change of scenery.”

“Okay. Well, you better call me.”

“I will, mom.”

“Love you, honey. I’ll tell your dad when he gets home from work. Oh and don’t forget to say goodbye to grandma Elena.”

“I will, mom.”

“Okay bye, honey.”

“Bye mom,” I said before ending the call. I put my head in my hands and rubbed my eyes before standing up and looking around the room. What to pack, what to pack. Then, the book that Legend and Cayson gave me earlier that day caught my eye. What was that book?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! Remember to illustrate your scenes and send them in via my email or my tumblr. ( cyanideanddiamonds@gmail.com ) ( cyanideanddiamonds.tumblr.com )  
> And don't forget to comment. I love constructive criticism or any kinds of comments, really. So comment away:)  
> -Dani


	18. Packing

I grabbed a large suitcase from the back of the coat closet near the front door to my apartment. I hadn’t touched a suitcase since I moved into this apartment. I opened it up and put the book that Legend and Cayson had given me at the bottom of it before packing anything else. I then went into my room and grabbed an armful of clothes from my dresser. I brought them back to the suitcase and stacked them neatly inside, pressing them down so that I could fit more stuff.

After I had packed all of my clothes and toiletries I was exhausted. Then, I remembered that I had some money in a safe under my bed. You never know when you’re going to need a little rainy day money. I ran to my room and dug around under my bed until I found the safe. I tried to open it. Locked. It was then that I remembered that the key was taped to the inside of my now empty sock drawer. I took out the key and opened up the safe. Two thousand and fifty dollars. I folded up the cash and put it in between some shirts in my suitcase. 

I took a glance at the clock. 4:30am. I had been up all night packing. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon casting a dim and fiery glow on the city. The light was the color of flames and reflected off the windows of the buildings and the lake. 

Seeing the sun begin to rise made me remember to pack my art kit. I ran into my room and pulled it out from underneath my dresser. It worked kind of like a suit case. It had a handle and some locks on it. I decided I would carry it separate on the train. I closed up my suitcase and carried both my art set and suitcase out of my apartment for the last time. Locking the door behind me.

On the way out of the building I rang the doorbell at the penthouse apartment, where my landlord lived. She opened the door with a smile on her face. I held the keys in front of her face and she stuck out her hand so that I could give them to her. 

“Goodbye, Gerard,” she said with the fake friendliness in her voice.

“Bye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for yet another super short chapter.  
> -Dani


	19. Cemetery

Dragging my suitcase behind me, I headed towards the cemetery, where my grandma Elena was buried. The sound of the rolling wheels on my suitcase followed me all the way down the street to the front gates of the graveyard, which were wide open. I stepped into the calming, fenced off piece of land where who knows how many passed citizens of Monroeville were buried beneath my feet. 

I proceeded to walk deeper into the cemetery to where my grandmother laid. I stood in front of her tombstone. “In loving memory of Elena Way RIP” I knelt down and traced a finger over the “E” that was engraved in the marble stone. A tear ran down my cheek as I turned to my suitcase to pull out a note my grandmother had given me before she had died. I unfolded the page as if it were the most fragile thing I had ever touched before reading it aloud.

“Gerard, I know that this is going to be hard for you, but I just want you to remember that I’m always going to be right beside you. Don’t forget that I’m always watching over you. After I’m gone, you have to keep your head held high. Don’t let anyone bring you down. Whenever you’re feeling down, sing a little bit. That always helped me. I just wish I could hear your voice one more time before I go. 

With love, Grandma Elena”

I folded the piece of paper back up just as it had been before I had read it. 

“I still have the guitar you gave me,” I said, gesturing to the guitar case that I had brought with me. I hadn’t touched it since my grandmother had died. “I’m never going to let anything happen to it,” I muttered to my grandmother’s unanswering grave. “I remember the song you wrote and tought me.” I sat down in front of the tombstone and prepared for the opening chord. “I’m going to be a little rusty,” I joked. I missed her laugh. 

I strummed the opening chord. Wrong at first, but after adjusting my fingering it sounded right and I began to sing.

“So long to all my friends, every one of them met tragic ends. With every passing day I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I miss them all tonight. And if they only knew what I would say if I could be with you tonight, I would sing you to sleep, never let them take the light behind your eyes. I’ll fail and lose this fight. Never fade in the dark, just remember you will always burn as bright. The light behind your eyes.”

As I continued to strum my grandmother’s song and sing the words, memories of her singing it to me and teaching me to play it flashed through my mind. Images of my grandmother holding her guitar and showing me the correct fingerings for me to play on my guitar and of her nodding along to the uneven strumming of my guitar. I remembered her voice singing the song to me as I played it on my guitar and as she taught me the chords. 

The sound of her voice joined mine in my head as I played her song.

“The light behind your eyes,” I finished. My cheeks had salty, wet tears rolling down them as I sang the final note and played the last chord. I wiped my face with my sleeve and followed that action with a sniffle. “Grandma, this is really hard for me. I’m moving so far away and I don’t know if I’m ever going to come back. I’m going to miss visiting you all the time. I’m not going to just say goodbye, but I’m going to say so long. That fits better, I think. So long and good night, grandma. No matter how far away I am from you, your memory will carry on. I will always have a piece of you with me, no matter what. I love you,” I finished through a shaky voice. I walked to a nearby rose bush and pulled a single red rose from the bunch. I carried it back to my grandmother’s tombstone and laid it horizontally in front of it before crossing my body, picking up my things, and heading to the train station, where I was supposed to meet Frank, Legend, and Cayson.


	20. Trains

Frank was sitting on a bench next to a heaping pile of luggage at the train station. He rested his head on a suitcase that was propped up beside him. He had his headphones in and his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful and harmless resting there.

I approached the bench and his eyes flickered open. 

"Gerard?" His voice was tired as he rubbed his eyes and and sat up from his lounging position. "Where's Legend? And Cayson?"

"I'm not quite sure. I didn't see them." I sat down on the bench next to Frank. "They should be here soon though."

Frank laid back into his lounging position and rested until Cayson and Legend finally showed up at the train station just seconds before the train appeared into view. We boarded the train quietly and confused. Frank and I had no idea what exactly we had gotten ourselves into.

The train was was near empty, with only a few travelers. As we left the station I caught a quick glimpse of a man in the far corner of the train. We made fast, uncomfortable eye contact. I had this strange feeling that he had been watching us. He wore a beige trench coat and tinted sunglasses. His hair was slicked back, making him look greasy. He made me uncomfortable, so I decided to avoid the very thought of him.

Frank was lost in his music through the entire ride. He gazed out the window as we zoomed in a southward direction, watching desolation pass by. Vacant fields and dirty wastelands abandoned by society whizzed by. A reminder of the war and famine that consumed these tired lands.

Dozens of towns were taken by the plague, which spread like wildfire. The United States population decreased dramatically on a daily basis. The war took an alarming amount of the population too. Nobody really understood what the war was even about. The country began to refer to it as the covert war. All we knew is that air travel had become hazardous in the country and all airports had been shut down. Many people stopped driving their personal cars because most of the interstates had been bombed by the Mexican army and their navy had taken control over all of our main waterways. Mexico had become the dominant land to us and had taken advantage over our country. 

I decided to go through that book legend had given me to learn more about the colors. The pages were glossy and full of colors and explanation. Fascinating. 

My reading was interrupted by legend, who tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention. I closed my book and turned around to look at him. 

"Yes," I asked. 

"Do you see that guy over there?" He pointed at the guy I had made eye contact with earlier.

I nodded.

"He's with the society," he explained.

"The society?"

"Yeah. United States citizens hired by the Mexican army to spy on prime suspects... That's us."

"Why us," I asked.

"Because of the color. We're immune."

"I don't understand."

Legend shushed me. "I think he's listening."

I stopped talking immediately and put my book away, hoping he hadn't seen the title. 

Hours passed by. Frank had fallen asleep and Legend was watching Cayson get lost in his sketch. They were so in love. It was beautiful to witness it. With all this conflict it was good to know that there was still happiness in this country. Still hope for the people of the United States.

We passed by a few small farms and some more vacant fields. The train didn't stop again for quite some time. Most train stations in smaller towns were no longer in use.


End file.
